Elafonisos ain’t no secret anymore. Some still wonder whether Simos who baptized one of the most beautiful beaches of Greece was a hermit or an abandoned sailor; the mystery still exists! White sandy dunes and crystalline turquoise waters, tranquil moments in a natural paradise as Elafonisos will make you appreciate nature at its grandeur. Used as a hideout for pirates, the land of deer is a genuine utopia. Words could never describe the uniqueness of this island, bordered from the massiveness of the Greek seas, hardly to be found elsewhere, and inhabited from hospitable people of laconic culture. Elafonisos is unlike any other destination of this country, as it reveals a world worth discovering. Its rare natural beauty will definitely touch your soul. From the traditional boats of Agios Spyridon harbor, the patron saint of the island, the exotic beach of Simos with the emerald waters and the cedar forest to the deserted church of Panagia with its panomic vistas to the endless blue of the sea and the bay of Sarakiniko, Elafonisos knows the magic of peacefulness. The mysteries, however, never hide even when they lie across the island. The pristine beach of Pounta with the famous submerged city of Pavlopetri, the oldest in the Mediterranean, the Stroggili Laggoon with the pink flamingos, a protected region from Ramsar, the impressive stalagmites of Kastania Cave, and the legendary lighthouse of Cavo Malias are just a few of the monuments of the southern coastline of Laconia. Elafonisos,however, is a colony of imperious Mani, a rare place, an archaeological site and a region of NATURA 2000 and, believe us when we say that it is the best region to feel serenity and explore a heavenly utopia. Smells of octopus and calamari, which attest the long fishing tradition of Elafonisos, with one of the largest fishing fleets in Greece, the feeling of sleeping on nature, under the Aegean sun, and sounds of the calm sea washing up on the sand, is all you need for this summer. Lying beneath the shady cedars, immerse your fingers in the sand to touch the soul of this paradise. The moment you open your eyes, junipers and dunes surround you, with the shadow of all the shades of blue flirting like a magnet with you.

Discover Elafonisos from our weekend escape column of Monemvasia!